Storm hits Greek capital with downpours, gale-force winds as it continues east [Live]

Mediterranean cyclone “Zorbas” shifted deeper into Greece on Saturday afternoon, bringing showers and gale-force winds to Athens, the central and northeastern Peloponnese and Evia, after tearing up trees and disgorging fishing boats and pleasure yachts across the coast of the southern Peloponnese.

The area that was hit the hardest was Messinia in the southeast of the Peloponnese peninsula, with the coastal capital of Kalamata and seaside villages like Methoni and Finikounda being inundated by waves. The gale-force winds and high seas were not unwelcome by everyone, however, as local media captured a few daredevil surfers riding the waves in the area of Marathopoli.

The region of Laconia also experienced similar problems, particularly in the towns of Stoupa, Gytheio and Aghios Nikolaos.

In the central and northern Peloponnese, meanwhile, authorities closed dozens of roads to traffic after they were flooded by rains, and the town of Argos was flooded when the water broke over banks of two rivers close by.

Similar measures were taken in Attica, with the closure of the old national highway in western Attica, near the seaside town of Mandra where flooding last year claimed 23 lives.

East Attica was also on high alert on Saturday, as civil protection authorities feared the possibility of widespread flooding in the town of Mati in particular, which was razed by a deadly wildfire in July that killed nearly 100 people.

Several areas in the general vicinity, meanwhile, experienced power cuts on Saturday.

The storm is expected to continue east, hitting the islands of the Aegean next.